Pet
by moonlitdemon
Summary: Gabriel has a new pet, but what about his old one? Happy Hunting.
1. Chapter 1: Jealousy

~ Hello all. New ficcie. I was lying in bed last night and I came up with this idea. I had been playing Chrono Trigger and came up with the name of my character. Anyways, enjoy. ~  
  
I heard Gabriel's spicy, dangerous laughter echoing through the halls. He was probably toying with that new pet of his. Ravyn or whatever her name was. That girl annoyed me from the moment I saw her, though we had never spoken. I wondered what Gabriel was laughing at, exactly. If my theory was correct, she had tried to hurt him or kill him. That's what made him laugh when I was with him. More like 'had been.' He never even cared about me anymore. All he cared about was Ravyn. I spit upon her, and her stupid name. She is named after a unintelligent bird that scavenges for food. I come across a little jealous, don't I? I have a right to be. I loved Gabriel to some degree. I hated him to a higher degree, but the love was always present. Now I had been abandoned for some mercenary. I felt very neglected. He used to toy with me, which kept me occupied, at least. Now life was really boring and uneventful. His attention kept my life exciting. Now, I hardly received a glance from his eternal eyes.   
  
I decided to go get something to eat. I was hungry. I only ate one meal a day, if that. I went into the pantry to find something to fix for myself and found my favorite meal, Ramen noodles. They were easy to make and provided me with nourishment. I was going to grab a pot, but one of Gabriel's slaves plucked the noodles from my hands and began to make it. Okay, I really hoped that the noodles were for me or I would flip out. Especially if they were given to Ravyn. I think I would attack her if she got MY noodles. I grabbed a Coke from the stainless steel fridge and went and sat down at an oak table. There were six in the dining room, and each table had ten chairs around it. The chairs were cushioned so they were quite comfortable. Everything in the dining room matched. The walls were a vibrant red along with the fabric on the chairs. When Gabriel had parties and balls, the tables would be taken away. They were replaced with red couches that were adorned with black pillows. I was beginning to relax when the slave brought me the Ramen noodles. I nodded in thanks to the girl, but she didn't respond, she just walked back into the kitchen. I ate my noodles and sipped away my drink until I felt full. I left the bowl on the table. I knew the slaves would take it away.   
  
As I walked back to my room, I saw Gabriel and Ravyn fighting. Brainless wretch. I really do hate her. Gabriel threw a glance over at me and smiled. I scowled at him and was sure to slam my door as loudly as I could. Well, at least I could still get a smile from him. That was progress.  
  
I went to my oak bookcase and pulled out a book to read. I really needed new books, I think I've read all the books here except for two of them. Those two were about Gabriel's kind by the author Ash Night. I knew enough about his kind, why would I want to read about it? My room had clean white walls and rich red carpet. The best thing about this carpet was that I never had to clean up the blood on it when Gabriel beat the crap out of me. My bed spread was black in color and the sheets were black as well. I liked the color black, seeing as that's what I saw every time I fell into unconciousness. To me it was bliss. I sat down in my comfortable black chair and had begun to read when Gabriel came in. I was still worthy of his attention, even though he had a new pet? I threw him an annoyed glance and he smirked. He placed himself in the chair across from me and I decided to simply ignore him.   
  
"Katana, where have you been, pet?" Gabriel said this in a purr. I looked at him in disgust.  
  
"Gabriel, you would have been hunting me down if you didn't know where I was. And don't call me your pet. Your pet is that girl Ravyn." His eyes sparkled dangerously. I had not addressed him as Milord or Master. Since when have I ever called him that, really? He always started our fights like that.  
  
"You certainly are disagreeable today. What's the matter, do you feel neglected, my pet? I heard that thought." I stood up and attempted to punch him. The bastard had read my thoughts. Damn it. He caught the punch and brought me to my knees in front of him.  
  
"Get off of me." I struggled to get away and he simply laughed. I would never be able to wrench my arm from his steel grip. He tightened that grip and was pretty close to breaking my arm. I kicked his shin and he backhanded me. Black dots danced in my vision. I got back up and walked towards Gabriel. I felt my fury increasing with every step I took towards him. As soon as I got close enough, he punched me in my stomach which made me double over in pain. He then brought my mouth to his and kissed me harshly. His kiss had a demanding edge to it, but I refused to respond. He released me from his grip and I fell to the floor.  
  
"Good-bye pet. Let's see if you can remember my title. It would be a big improvement. To think you, after being alive for two hundred years, have learned nothing. Even Ravyn has learned to address me as Master. She breaks easily." He left my room and I went into my bathroom to tend to my various bruises and injuries. I hate him so much.   
  
~ Should I continue? If I receive one review, at least, I'll probably continue. Anyways, please review. Happy Hunting. ~ 


	2. Chapter 2: Weariness

~ Hello. This is for Krikoris, my first reviewer on this fic. Krikoris, you've let me do a lot in this fic based on your fics. Thanks, many thanks. Enjoy. *Upon request of homeskillet I have added more oomph.* ~  
  
My sister decided to visit today. We were really only related through our father, we had different mothers, my sister, my brother, and I. My father is quite a sadist. He had killed my mother, Rianne, and my brother's mother, Narilla, yet he stayed with my sister's mother.   
  
My sister, Katima, is beautiful. The look of her features are oriental, she took after her mother in appearance. Her mother, Hanako, had been visiting England, from Japan, and met our father. He fell in love with Hanako and thus my sister came into the world. Of course, that had been about fifty years ago. My father is a Triste, a witch with properties like a vampire, or so I am told. He never ages; maybe that is why he killed the ones he loved, he didn't want to watch them age and die in front of him. He sold me to Gabriel two hundred years ago and I haven't heard from him since. I haven't talked to my brother for about two years, though I really can't go see him because I'm caged here, in Gabriel's manor. My brother's name is Gerik. His mother was British, like my father, nothing really special about his heritage or my own. My brother always acted older than me, although he is about ten years younger than me. His hair is dark brown, I think he got it from his mother. He certainly didn't get it from our father. My father's hair is caramel colored and his eyes were a watery blue color. I think all my looks come from him; the only trace I have of my mother in traits is my ability to draw. I truly hated my father for killing my mother, but as time goes on, in this hell hole, I think that the fire of my hatred is finally burning out. I think I have lost my spirit in this place.   
  
My brother and sister are vampires, both in Kendra's line. Gerik is a painter, though his paintings don't portray the pain that Kairbre's paintings do, they are simply abstract. They portray the death of his victims; Gerik once told me since the death of his prey was never painful, his paintings never showed pain. Katima is quite a fan of Kairbre, so she showed me some of his work. I think it would go nicely with my room, or Gabriel's house in general, but I don't say anything to my sister about it.   
  
Katima was changed for her voice. Her singing can bring people to tears or to blissful happiness. When Katima spoke, it was as if she were singing, so her voice in general attracted the eyes of Kaleo. I am glad that I can't sing at all.   
  
Ever since I learned the qualities that vampires liked in human candidates for the change, I tried to get rid of those qualities, I did not want to be a vampire. It is hard to get rid of talents. I hate my looks, my stubbornness, my foolishness, everything about me irks my nerve. I take beauty as a curse, of course, if Gabriel keeps beating me into a bloody smear on the floor, I may lose that curse.   
  
I do not like the fact that my two siblings are vampires. It makes me feel that it is my fate to become one as well and I detest the thought. I think I would kill myself if I became a full-fledged vampire, I am already close enough to being one. Gabriel blood bonded me about two hundred years ago and that was horrible enough. I couldn't die until he did; which is a comforting thought at times. I am somewhat afraid of death, though I would never admit it. Never. Ever.   
  
My sister was gently humming the melody of a song I did not know, though it sounded beautiful. I looked over at her, her black hair fell to her chin and framed her face. Her eyes were the same black color that most vampires had. That is the only thing on her that makes her unattractive. I hate most vampires, with a few exceptions; Katima being one of them. The thought of eye color brought a question to my mind.  
  
"Katima, what color were your eyes when you were human?" She turned to me and smiled.   
  
"The same color as yours, bright blue." She said this in her heavenly, cursed voice. Her comment made me vaguely wonder if Gerik's eyes had been blue when he was human. Maybe we all took after our father when it came to our eyes.   
  
"Have you been misbehaving for Gabriel? He seemed quite perturbed when I came in." I looked over at her, she was looking back at me curiously. Hmmm. I doubt I had him perturbed. Probably stupid Ravyn. Her very presence would make me want to vomit. My sister had been reading my thoughts no doubt, she was grinning mischievously from ear to ear. People these days, always reading people's thoughts and such. I gave her an offended look and she backed off. "Fine, I'll stop, little Katana." I really don't know why she calls me 'little.' I'm like one hundred fifty years older than her. I'll let it pass today, but the next time she says it, I'll start screaming at her.  
  
"No, I don't misbehave for Gabriel. I don't belong to him, I belong to no one. Why don't you buy me from him or something? Get me away from here." Katima frowned at this; it darkened her whole face.  
  
"I told father I wouldn't. I thought you belonged to 'no one', yet you're begging me to buy you; learn to talk and sound intelligent. Father keeps an eye on you, ya know. He doesn't want you changed like me or Gerik. He knows you have a talent as well, your drawing and your writing. He doesn't want you to catch the eye of Kendra or her fledglings. Gabriel likes you anyway, he would never sell you. I'm sorry, I can't help you there." I felt mild relief when she said that; I do love Gabriel sometimes and I won't have to part with his annoying ass anytime soon. Good.   
  
Gabriel walked in then and told me that he needed to speak with me. I stood up and followed him out into the dimly lit hallways. The walls here were a soft orange color and it made you feel as if the sun was kissing your skin; the walls were comforting because I knew I would never see the light of day again, so it was the closest thing I had to real sunlight. I looked at him brazenly and he returned the gaze. We were challenging each other, yet for the first time, I won. He looked away first, his eyes looked past me to someone behind me. I turned around and saw stupid Ravyn. Her stupid ugly burgundy hair. Who has burgundy hair, really? I then noticed her black eyes, she was a vampire now? Hmph, now I loathe her even more, if it's actually possible. She looked kind of sleepy too. I wondered when she had been changed.  
  
"Ravyn, go feed and get some rest." Gabriel said this in a cool tone. Hehehe, he wasn't happy about this change. I would have to ask him one hundred questions about Ravyn now. It would really get on his nerves and that's what I'm here for. Ravyn simply nodded and disappeared, the place where she had been standing was eerily empty. I was used to vampires disappearing though, Gabriel did it all the time. Although, those times were hazy since I had usually been on the brink of unconsciousness when he dissapeared. I decided to start asking questions at this point, to stop myself for delving too far into my past. The present gave you sanity, the past and future give insanity. Or that's how I look at it.  
  
"What is it Gabriel? Are you sad because your little lapdog is a vampire now? You can't draw blood from her now, you won't have any control over her. That must really make you angry. No more pet, huh?" I was being really sarcastic and made my voice have the tone of someone talking to a five-year-old with a boo-boo. Gabriel whipped around, a look of fury on his face. He grabbed my throat and threw me up against a wall. I really couldn't breath, I was pretty sure that I was turning blue.   
  
"Watch your tongue, girl. You should be broken, but I have yet to break you. Do you want me to break you now? No, wait, it won't be any fun for me. You don't have the chance of dying." I tried to kick him, but he still had me pinned against the wall, so my hit missed. He gave me a dangerous smile. I felt like smacking that smile off of his face. God must really hate me. How can he make me love and hate the same person, all at once? I gave up on God a long time ago, so I'm guessing he gave up on me. Katima came out of my room at that point and grabbed Gabriel's fist, this thwarted his attempt of punching my face. It's not like it hadn't happened before.   
  
"This isn't your affair, Katima, so stay out of it. Go back to your singing lessons." Gabriel hissed this at my sister, who let out a low growl. Uh-oh. Time for me to get out of here. Of course, that was impossible at the moment, since I was trapped under Gabriel's strong grip.  
  
"Keep your hands off of her when I am around, or you might find that they are gone the next time you go to use them. I'll mount them on my wall of singing trophies, since you think singing is so frivolous; although, Gabriel, you are frivolous too so you would go nicely with the trophies." Gabriel smirked at the threat. Obviously, he didn't find Katima threatening at all.   
  
"Is that supposed to scare me, child? I will not take orders from the likes of you."  
  
Katima laughed at that and Gabriel's eyes narrowed; you should never trust a laughing vampire. "Oh, that's right, the only person that can order you around is dead. Jeshickah deserved it, but you are lost without her, are you not?"  
  
Gabriel instantly retorted, only his answer was made with his mind. I could tell that there was a conversation going on between them, though not verbally. If you watched carefully enough, you could see their emotions in their eyes. I saw anger in their eyes, everyone was angry now. Great. I was in for it now. I winced when Gabriel tightened his grip on my throat. I'm turning purple now. I think I just lost my beauty, I have a permanently purplish-blue face, one less thing to worry about. To my surprise, my sister answered his threat on me by shaking her head and disappearing. How could she leave me like this?   
  
I didn't want Gabriel to take his fury out on me; I did not look at myself as a beating post, well at least most of the time. He released me from the wall, to my surprise, and said, "Please, no more incidents, like the Dominique situation thirty years ago. Ravyn, along with a colleague of sorts, killed Jeshickah, which subsequently made them vampires." He threw his hands up in the air, he looked exhausted. "I grow weary of you all, I do not like changing my pets." He then disappeared and left me there, fuming. He had called me his pet, once again.   
  
~ Yeah, well, this chappie probably seems kind of rushed. I'm trying to get done as much as I can before Spring Break is over. If it is bad, tell me and I'll rewrite it. Love you all. Happy Hunting. ~ 


	3. Chapter 3: The Dominique Fandango

~ This chapter is about the Dominique fandango ( I love that word ) thirty years or so prior to this story. Enjoy, and, uh, Katana POV. Sadly, I don't own any of these characters, except for Katana and her family. Enjoy. ~  
  
I still think that the whole Dominique thing was hilarious. As I sit on my bed and draw whatever comes to mind, I find myself sketching that cold hunter on my cream colored sketch pad. I remembered how I had really ticked Gabriel off. That had been great fun, well, except for the injuries. They were never great. The injuries had just like the usual ones, but they hadn't been from Gabriel, they had been from Dominique and Jeshickah. I always find myself in trouble, I swear.  
  
~~~~~~ 30 years earlier ~~~~~~  
  
The sunlight that I found in the outside world was blinding. So, I had basically stumbled blindly away from Gabriel's manor, really hoping that no cars were on the road. Or else I would be road kill. After my eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight I ran from that wretched manor. For the first time in my two hundred year stay with Gabriel, he had pushed me over the edge. I had suffered the worst beating of my life last night, and it hadn't even came from him. I had been beaten bloody by the former ruler of Midnight, Jeshickah. And Gabriel had stood by and watched it happen! I thought he cared about my health to some degree, but I was lucky I didn't die last night. God, I still ached like crazy. But no matter how bad it felt to run through the streets like a mad man, it was nice to be able to stretch my legs again. I hadn't ran like this since, umm........I can't really remember. Some people looked at me as if I were crazy, others looked at me and shook their heads. They assumed me to be an adolescent starting trouble. I am the oldest fifteen-year-old I know. As I came into view of the cafes and shops I slowed down. I could tell someone was following me. Pervert, stalker, serial killer. It could be any one of those, but it's probably a vampire. Gabriel to be exact. I turned around slowly, and rolled my eyes; that would irritate him even more. But it wasn't Gabriel at all, it was a woman. A human. I'm guessing serial killer, but I could be wrong. It was one of those moments that I wished that Gabriel was here. He was always there when I DIDN'T need him at all. God. The woman eyed me and I just stared at her blankly. She started talking in a cold voice that made me feel small and insignificant.  
  
"You are blood bonded, girl. But to whom?" I looked at her as if she was crazy. Like I would tell her.  
  
"I forgot. Maybe you could tell me who you are. It's not nice to follow innocent girls around in lonely streets." She narrowed her eyes at my sarcasm. I am a genius when it comes to these kind of things; pissing people off and such.  
  
"I can make you regret those words. I will not hesitate to do so." Okay, I didn't mean to start a fight. Really, this time I was just trying to get this extremely weird person away from me.  
  
"Why are you talking to me as if I've done something wrong? Just leave me alone."  
  
"Not until you tell me who you are bonded to." This woman was persistent. I'm not that important and neither was Gabriel. Well, I don't think he's important.  
  
"LEAVE ME ALONE! GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEAD, YOU OLD HAG!" The woman snarled and pounced on me. I fell to the ground, underneath her weight. Actually she wasn't that heavy, but when she threw herself at me with a force of one thousand, it knocked the wind out of you. I was trying to catch my breath when the woman drew a silver blade. It looked quite sharp and I do not like sharp things when they are close to my throat, wrist, or heart. The woman seemed to be quite calm now, I guess she was 'in her element.' I think my serial killer theory was right.  
  
"Tell me what I want to know and I'll let you go, unscathed." Okay, I liked to be in control. This was no fun. I wanted this woman off of me. I really hoped she wasn't a molester too. "Would you like me to take the information from your mind, girl. It will be a severely painful punishment for your ignorant behavior." Oh, duh, she wasn't a serial killer; she was a witch. I'm a really stupid person, I swear.   
  
"Get off of her." The voice was cool and oddly calm. It was not Gabriel's spicy voice, the voice I had been expecting to hear all day, it was drastically different. It was demanding, yet I could tell the vampire had minimal control of things in his life, or whatever you want to call it. Actually, I really couldn't tell what his voice revealed about his personality. I could only tell that I was really scared now and I didn't have Gabriel to run to. Although, Gabriel would have beaten me cruelly if I ran to him. Shut up, brain. Shut up, shut up, shut up!   
  
The woman stood up and began to walk towards him. The vampire, I now could see him clearly because no one was pinning me to the ground, had a cocky smirk on his face. He was different looking, that's for sure. Black hair with red streaks and very red eyes. His very presence screamed predator and he was all around creepy. The woman launched herself at him and he slammed a fist into her face. I silently cheered him on. Go creepy guy, WOO-HOO! The woman backed up, so I casually put out my leg and tripped her. She growled at that and pulled me to the pavement. More like, she practically threw me onto the pavement and cracked my head open. That made me feel dizzy. She raised the knife over her head, as if she would stab me, but the creepy vampire grabbed her wrist and threw her away from me. I think I had heart failure because now my heart was going like two hundred beats per second. Which is really fast, in case you were wondering. The woman got up looking defeated and ran away. I guess she knew when to retreat. The vampire with red eyes watched her run with narrowed eyes, but did not move to follow her. Instead, he turned to look at me.   
  
"Who do you belong to?" I almost started yelling at the word 'belong,' but I decided to bite my tongue. It was getting me into trouble a lot lately.  
  
"Gabriel, of Midnight. Who're you?" He smiled and outstretched his hand to help me up. He seemed pretty nice so I accepted the friendly gesture. My head spun when I got up. He frowned and said, "That's quite a concussion." I felt like saying, 'Yeah, really, I didn't notice it at all,' but decided it wasn't the best idea. He grabbed me and we disappeared, which is quite an experience if you ever get to do it. You feel like you're floating, but, anyway, that really doesn't matter.   
  
Gabriel was pacing in the dining room, he stopped and looked at me when I appeared with this other vampire. He let out a low growl, well I thought he was going to hit me, but he actually came forward to examine my head. It was bleeding now and I really hoped he wasn't hungry. I guess not because he simply cursed and pushed me back. Hmph. He is so mean to me. That reminded me, the other vampire had never answered my question.   
  
"Who're you?" The other vampire turned to me and said, "I'm Chaos." Creepy looking, with a creepy name. Well, at least he was nice. Gabriel eyed him.  
  
"Do you know who did this to Katana? To my slave?" My eyes instantly narrowed. I began to walk towards him, but Chaos grabbed my shoulder and held it in a firm grip.   
  
"It seems she got into a little scuffle with Dominique Vida. Nothing too serious though." Gabriel looked over at me, his fury focused on me.   
  
"Chaos, whose line are you in? Do you own unruly slaves?" He did it AGAIN. I'll strangle him. Gabriel gave me an amused look; his mood was lightening.   
  
"Silver's line. I do own slaves, actually, although none of them are defiant. Most of mine are submissive." Gabriel nodded. He probably would not show his gratitude, well if he actually had any. I really couldn't tell if he was happy to see me or not. Oh well.   
  
"Maybe I will contact you the next time I have slaves to sell, though I will not sell the unruly one; I enjoy her company." Chaos nodded. Gabriel had showed gratitude. It surprised me. I looked at Gabriel, but he did not look directly at me. Chaos and Gabriel talked for a while, so I grew bored. Gabriel must have noticed because he told Chaos that he would talk to him later. Ugh. Now I was stuck alone with him. Beating time.   
  
"Katana, you foolish girl, why did you disobey me and run away?" I would not be nice to him.   
  
"You could have found me easily, if you weren't so lazy." He smirked and pulled me towards him. I tried to pull back, but I was exhausted.   
  
"I knew you would find your way back here one way or another. I am thankful that Chaos found you. He probably saved your life. I am forever in his debt." Gabriel kissed my forehead, picked me up, and took me to my bedroom. He laid me on my bed, quite gently, and told me he would see me in the morning. He is so confusing. Sometimes he beats me and other times he tucks me in for bed. Vampires are so strange. Exactly like us human, yet so different.  
  
~~~~~~Present~~~~~~  
  
I yawned; too much reminiscing. I stretched and got up off of my bed. I put my sketch pad on my oak desk and went to take a shower. Gabriel sure has a fondness of oak furniture. I just realized that.  
  
~ I'm tired. Boo-hoo. Spring break is over, back to the sadistic schools. *sigh* R & R. Happy Hunting. 


	4. Chapter 4: Mirror Images

~ Hello, my faithful readers. So I am writing this on a high, not a low. I just went and saw X-Men 2 and it was great and put me in a good mood. I love Nightcrawler and Gambit (though he did not make an appearance in this movie). Enjoy. ~  
  
I got out of the shower and was walking into my room, when I saw that Gabriel was in my room. Man, I had just taken a shower. For God's sake, I didn't want to get bloodied up already. He was looking through my one of my sketchpads. I knew that he could tell I was now in the room, yet he made no sign of it. He wouldn't move at all if I didn't try to hit him. I decided to act as if nothing were wrong, though I was extremely uncomfortable. I really didn't want to get dressed in front of him. I was also aware that I was extremely revealed right now, so I was kind of cautious around him, being the perverted sadist that he was. I went over to my dresser and pulled out some clothes. To my surprise, he stopped me. Fortunately, he stopped me with words, not actions.  
  
"You need to dress up, I have a special guest. Understood Katana?" I swallowed my pride and nodded. He seemed to be satisfied with that, he went back and began to look at my drawings. It's just amazing, my work. Not really, but he must be fascinated. I went through my drawers, but couldn't find anything "fancy." My outfits consist of t-shirts and jeans, not one was really different from any other. Gabriel looked over at me and grinned. What exactly he was smiling about was a mystery to me. He held out a dress, one that looked extremely small. He wanted me to look like a freaking whore. It was black and had a kind of sheer look to it. I raised my eyebrow in defiance, but he did not care. "Get dressed, Katana. I don't have all day." And yet, he had enough time to let me look through all my drawers, when he knew I had nothing in there to wear. He irks my nerve.   
  
I vaguely wondered who I was getting dressed "up" for. I actually felt like I was being dressed "down," I felt like a two-dollar whore (A/N: who broke a three-dollar nail, hehehehehehe.... I have a strange sense of humor.)  
  
Gabriel stood and looked me over; more like undressed me with his eyes, I felt violated as his eyes traveled up and down my body. He must have thought I looked stunning; he pulled me forward so that I was molded into the masculine curves of his body. He grinned at me suggestively and I pushed him away. Pervert. He laughed and attempted to pull me into another embrace and succeeded, of course. He tilted my chin up and kissed my lips passionately. I used my not-so-strict control to stop from responding to his dark, spicy, seductive kiss. Of course, my not-so-strict control failed me and I caved in. I deepened his kiss, letting my lips gently caress his. He wrapped a hand around the back of my neck, keeping me from pulling away. His other hand gently stroked the curves of my body. We were in extremely close proximity to each other and I think we were both aware of that. I stifled a moan as his mind attempted to take over my own. It was calming and made me feel as if I were floating, but I knew that feeling too calmed could ultimately lead to my doom. I tried to push him away again; this time he stopped me from going anywhere with the hand on the back of my neck. His black eyes locked with my own aqueous eyes and I felt the pull of his mind on my own. I drifted into his control again, allowing myself to rest and.... Wait, no! Stop! I looked away from his deadly gaze, which had bound me previously, and saw him smirk. I kicked his shin and got away. Gabriel's response to this was laughter. He pulled me close to him, again (this must be getting really old, I mean it is to me), so that his lips were very close to my ear.   
  
"Sometimes, I wonder why you don't give in completely Katana. Do not worry about looking like a whore. That outfit is simply something that I wanted to see you in. Your actual attire is on your desk. Get ready; I'll be back in ten minutes. If you are not ready by then, you will be disciplined." I tried to punch him for getting me to dress like this, but he caught my fist and released it, his mocking eyes watching me all the while.  
  
He turned and walked out of my room, with it's stark white walls and plush crimson carpet. I swallowed my throat was parched. When I did so I discovered the coppery taste of blood in my mouth. I dabbed my lip with my finger and found that my lip was bleeding and swollen. Gabriel had probably cut my lip with his razor sharp fangs, when he had been kissing me. Damn him. Even when he is trying to be gentle, he is rough.   
  
I looked at the outfit Gabriel had left for me. A plain white button down shirt and a black skirt that would fall to my feet, although there were slits that went almost all the way up my leg. I pulled on the clothes and pulled my hair up, so it wouldn't be hanging in my face flatly, like a piece of stiff cardboard. Once again, I was reminded of my curse when I saw myself in my bathroom mirror. I looked flawless, well, except for the bloody, swollen lip. I hated that stupid image that would damn me or keep me in Gabriel's manor for eternity. I punched the stupid image and winced as I felt some of the shards lodge themselves into my skin. It hurt like hell. My hand was dripping blood everywhere and, the now ruined, mirror had blood speckling its distorted surface. Fear rose in me. I hoped Gabriel had fed well today or he would drain my lifeblood. I quickly tried to clean up the mess, though my hand was still dripping in blood so it created an even bigger mess. What the fuck had I been thinking? Gabriel was going to kill me for this.  
  
Unfortunately, Gabriel walked in as I was cleaning, or attempting to clean. When he saw the blood stained bathroom he cursed and grabbed my heavily bleeding hand, which was starting to numb.   
  
"What did you do, you stupid, stupid girl?" I was kind of afraid, but I think I detected a note of concern in his otherwise raging voice. Gabriel eyed the mirror and then eyed my hand. He grabbed some tweezers and gauze out of the cabinet in the bathroom. He handed the materials to my blood free hand and told me this: "Get the glass out and clean the wounds. Change your clothes. I believe our guest is getting impatient, so hurry up." I felt the fear pass from me when Gabriel disappeared from the bathroom. He wasn't going to beat me into bloody oblivion. If I had ever prayed to God for protection, it had been that moment. I thought he would throw a fit, but he hadn't. Jesus, the adrenaline was still running through my system. My body thought that it would need to defend itself against the vampire, but he hadn't even tried to lay a finger on me. Except for when he grabbed my hand. A part of me was starting to believe there was a God out there. The other part of me was still an atheist.   
  
I looked around, blood speckled almost everything, from the walls to the clothes I was wearing. I just ruined more clothes. I sighed and sat down on my toilet, with the tweezers in hand, ready for the painful task ahead. I yanked each of the pieces of mirror from my completely numb, snow-white hand. The pieces ranged from small to excruciatingly tiny. The tiny ones hurt the most because it seemed to take an eternity to get them out. I felt like screaming every time I pulled a piece of glass out, but I refused to do so. When I finally got all twenty thousand shards of glass out of my hand, I washed the blood off of it and wrapped it in the gauze Gabriel had handed to me. Hopefully it would stop bleeding soon. I didn't want to get my hand amputated. I took off my ruined clothes and replaced them with a black tank top and some worn out jeans. At least my hair wasn't bloodied. Actually, I'm guessing that, because I have no mirror to look in anymore. I sighed and wondered where the fuck, Goddamned Gabriel wanted me to go. It doesn't take a lot to put me in a bad mood. Scratch that. I'm always in a bad mood. I could never describe myself as pleasant.  
  
Gabriel appeared next to me, to escort me to who knows where, and shook his head. I was dressed in my regular clothes, had a swollen lip (it was no longer bleeding), and a bloody hand. I'm sure I looked fabulous. He led me to the ultra-red dining room. Tables still adorned the dining room and sitting in the center was a familiar figure. To my surprise, my father was sitting there, his features so much like my own. What the hell was he doing here?  
  
~ Hehehe. I love writing cliffhangers. Please review. Happy Hunting. ~ 


	5. Chapter 5: The Love and Hate of the Past

~ Yea, well, here's chapter five. I'm sorry if this really sucks. I'm just having some time problems. Enjoy, if that's possible. ~  
  
"Hello, Katana, how are you my child?" My father looked down at my hand and, with a devilish grin, said, "Have a little accident?" I felt like smacking him, but I restrained myself. I am getting rather good at that, well, besides the whole breaking-the-mirror incident. I looked over at Gabriel, who looked sort of puzzled. It seems that neither of us know what's going on.   
  
"What do you want? I'm just fine and dandy, don't I look it? And yes, I did have a little, insignificant run-in with my bathroom mirror." My father's grin darkened, but stayed on his face nonetheless. In a weird kind of way, my father was attractive. He still looked about twenty five and had a clear, wrinkle-free complexion. He looked quite good for a two hundred -plus- year old. His watery eyes studied me and my own eyes studied him. Gabriel stood calmly in the corner of the room, though I was completely sure that he was ready to pounce at a moment's notice. Overprotective leech. He caught my eye and grinned. 'Katana, I heard that thought. Yes, I am overprotective, but I will be relentless in beating you for being so insolent.' I narrowed my eyes, ignoring the blatant threat he had just posed against me, and gave him the finger. He laughed, a musical sound, and my father shook his head. He didn't find me entertaining, thank God; I think all of the vampires I have met think I am ABSOLUTELY, COMPLETELY hilarious, which is VERY annoying.   
  
"Is it so wrong that I want to see how my eldest daughter, who, may I add, is still human? Are you still angry at me for leaving you here? I believe-" I noticed that his expression turned into one of distaste, "-that both of you have grown attached to each other. Which, in many ways, is not a good thing." Gabriel let out a low growl. I cringed, great another fight. How many members of my family was Gabriel going to fight with in one day? My father did not look threatened in the least, but I wondered if he was just putting on a show. I'm quite good at that. I'm terrified as hell, but I can make myself look really pissed off. It's a great talent to learn. I assumed that my father wanted a response to his question, so I would answer.  
  
"Well, my oh-so-caring father, where have you been since you dumped me here around two hundred years ago? If I remember correctly, you haven't visited me once, except for now. So it may come as a surprise when you show up out of the blue. Okay? And another thing, I don't have an 'attachment' to Gabriel, but when you are FORCED to live with someone, you learn how to get along." My father shook his head again, causing me to go off like a time bomb. I knew this whole meeting was a bad idea. "WHAT ARE YOU SHAKING YOUR HEAD AT?! IF ANYONE SHOULD BE SHAKING THEIR HEAD, IT'S ME!! YOU JUST COME HERE AND ACT LIKE YOU ARE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY!! WELL, YOU'RE NOT SO LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE!!" He looked visibly stung, but I stood up and went to walk out the door.   
  
My father's voice stopped me, "Jesus, Katana, you act just like them. That's why I'm shaking my head. I feel like you are one; one of those horrible things. But you aren't, and it took me a while to figure that out. I just wanted to see you, your smiling face, and I came face to face with a blood-bonded spawn of hell. Are you really that angry that I ended your marriage?" I felt myself pale. Gabriel's eyebrows raised in interest; I hadn't told him that, and I hadn't planned on it. I felt tears sting my eyes at the thought of Crinnen. If I had ever hated my father for anything, besides killing my mother, half of me, it was for snatching me away from Crinnen's loving arms. I felt my knees give out. I couldn't break down like this in front of either of them, but I couldn't help it. The tears demanded to be spilled and my legs would not allow me to stand, until I had complied with my mind's wishes. To my surprise, Gabriel walked towards me in concern, but my father beat him to me. My father wrapped his arms around me and, to my horror, I broke into sobs. Unstoppable, uncontrollable sobs, that seemed to echo in the room. I could feel the tears burning down my face. I hated this weakness; I tried to push myself up, only to fall, once again. Why? Why me? I felt my father stroking my face, my hair, and I couldn't stop myself from grasping onto him. As if he, of all people, was my last hope.  
  
"Shhhh. Calm down. You need some sleep, you look awfully pale. Get some rest and I'll talk to you later." My father lifted me up, in his strong arms, and handed me to Gabriel.   
  
I buried my face in Gabriel's chest. My face burned in embarrassment. Gabriel carried me down the hall, into my bedroom, and laid me gently on my bed. I curled into a little ball, still sobbing, and attempted to hide my face. Gabriel sat there silently for a few minutes and then he laid down next to me. He leveled his own eyes with mine. I felt a blush rise to my face and went to cover it again. I really have never been girlish, so I was slightly surprised at my own behavior. Gabriel grabbed my arm before I could cover it and asked, in a smooth, crystalline tone, "Are you okay, Katana? Do you want me to leave?"   
  
In my mind, I was screaming no. I didn't want him to leave me alone. I needed his comfort. Gabriel, who I wanted to smack for reading my thoughts, must have heard the internal screaming and put his pale arms around me. I was mildly aware of the tenderness of the situation, yet I said nothing; no thank-yous or your-so-greats, nothing. I simply cried in pain and sadness in his vampiric arms. He said nothing, and it felt as if we sat there for hours. Finally, I felt the tears stop coming, like a dried river. I pulled away from Gabriel, no longer wanting to be in that awkward situation. I sat up, getting ready to go take a bath, but Gabriel caught my arm. I looked over at him reluctantly and his eyes searched mine. He seemed so confused, so ignorant.   
  
"What happened? You were married?" I nodded silently. Wait no, I was lying to him.  
  
"I was engaged. Then my father sold me off to you." I said that a little more bitterly than I had intended. Gabriel seemed to take no notice.   
  
"Was he a vampire? Maybe he was one of Kendra's line." I shook my head. I was completely confident that Crinnen was NOT a vampire. There was no way.   
  
"If you ever want to talk about it-" Gabriel began.   
  
"I never will. Okay?" He nodded, a little flustered because I cut him off, but it was a civil nod nonetheless.   
  
"Katana, do me a favor and do what your father said. Get some rest. You look like hell." I glared at him, but I laid back down on my bed. I was tired anyway. "Thanks, you improve my confidence oh-so-much," I mumbled when he stood up. He grinned, his usual, asshole grin, and I rolled my eyes. He leaned down and kissed my forehead.  
  
"Good night, Katana. I hope you sleep well." So do I, I thought to myself. Gabriel then walked out of my room, leaving me to feel very empty and to dream of the one I used to love.  
  
~ Yeah, so did you love it, or hate it? Either way, review it. Happy Hunting. 


	6. Chapter 6: Interesting Conversation

~ New chapter. Sorry for the wait. Gabriel's point of view. Enjoy. ~  
  
"Was that really necessary? Did you really need to come here and upset her like that? You are a worthless father; I think I would be a more compassionate father than you happen to be." Cronos narrowed his eyes at my insult, but made no move to initiate a fight. Damn, I actually wanted to kill him.  
  
"Yes, this visit was necessary. I am just protecting her from the cruel world outside of this manor. If she EVER steps foot out of this very place, she is damned. She would be changed immediately." I rolled my eyes, doubting that my property would ever be changed, unless the vampire wanted a very slow and painful death. Hmmm. I would rip out their organs and feed it to them. Or maybe I would light their immortal body on fire and listen to their screams. Or perhaps.... there are endless ways to cause harm, but I need not worry until someone actually does this. Which I HIGHLY doubt. She belongs to me, how would she manage to leave, ever? The thought of her escaping makes me laugh. Inwardly, of course.  
  
"I hardly think that upsetting Katana achieved anything. I am absolutely certain that it did not help her well being. Would you mind telling me why, exactly, she would be threatened right now, if you hadn't come?"  
  
Cronos sighed and said in a bored tone, "I hardly think that the information is necessary to the likes of you." He wanted to play that way, huh? I would accept the challenge. I always like to get people angry. Then, those very same people get aggressive, and it is always fun to hurt the aggressive.  
  
"I will just have to analyze the visit myself, then. I think you have made up this whole 'Katana in danger' ordeal. You simply wanted to see her in pain. You feel empowered by her painful memories and sorrowful tears. You must be very well pleased with this breakdown, no?" I saw the anger flicker in Cronos' eyes, but it quickly hid itself. Too late. I had already seen the fire of anger; I would just have to kindle it, won't I?  
  
In an exasperated tone, Cronos said, "Why should I tell you anything, vampire? You parasite of humanity. You just stood there and berated me. Now, you expect me to tell you my motives? I think I'll take my leave of you monstrosities." I heard a low growl escape my lips. I have accepted the fact that I am a monster, but if he was trying to imply that Katana IS a monster, he was terribly wrong. Katana in no way, shape, or form is a monster or parasite. How dare he? I reached out and grabbed the triste's arm. He would not leave after that statement. Cronos turned to look at me with narrowed eyes. My own obsidian gaze locked with his sapphire one. His aura flared against my skin and I am positive that my own was doing the same to the triste. Our power met and crackled above us. Though a sound was heard, nothing was to be seen that would cause such a sound. The old triste looked away from my gaze, admitting defeat, and I could not hide the triumphant smirk on my face.  
  
"Tell me why you came. Now. Or I will be forced to rip it from your senile mind." He nodded and I relinquished my grip, which is as powerful as a vise.  
  
"You are lucky that I don't feel like fighting Gabriel. But, nonetheless, I will tell you why I am here."  
  
When Cronos offered no further information, I hissed at him. "Spit it out, old man. Or you'll be spitting out blood and vomit instead."  
  
Cronos rolled his eyes at my threat and said, with a grim expression on his face, "Her lover is alive. If she contacts him, he will most definitely come for her. He will kill you-" upon seeing my expression of invincibility, he rolled his eyes yet again, "and take her away from the very protection that protects her soul. The protection that every master has for his slaves. Without it, she will be changed."  
  
The thought that had been nagging at me throughout this whole conversation, finally found it's way out of my mouth. "I doubt that any vampire is that concerned with changing Katana."  
  
Cronos, still grim as ever, said, "Then you doubt the truth. I brought Katana here so Kaleo would leave her alone. He had his eye on her for a while, ever since she was a little girl, at the tender age of eleven. Every vampire, you included, wants what they can't have. Kaleo lies patiently in wait, until you or I slip up." I knew that I would not slip up, but Cronos on the other hand...  
  
"Fine. But how would Katana contact this lover of hers? Did you think of that, oh brilliant one?"  
  
Cronos gave me an annoyed look and said, "Yes, I did, thank you. Katana is a very bright girl, as you must have learned by now, she could, and if given the chance, will figure out a way to contact him." I was quite skeptical of that, but I said nothing. The girl would never get a chance to contact him, her lover, whatever his name is.  
  
But what if he contacts her? "What if he discovers that she is alive? What if he contacts her?"  
  
With an indifferent look on his face, Cronos said, "We dispose of him." Since when was I in league with someone who would kill me if his daughter was not here?  
  
"We?"  
  
"Meaning, you and I. I have answered all of your frivolous questions. I am tired and weary, so I am leaving. Goodbye, Gabriel. Take care of my daughter." And with that, the triste left, leaving me to think of Katana and her long lost fiancé.  
  
~ Well, you didn't see that one did you? Please review. ~ 


	7. Chapter 7: In Thine Eyes

~ Hey hey. I thought we needed a nice change in point of view. Meet Crinnen, the long lost lover of Katana. Enjoy. ~  
  
The music that poured from an unseen source seemed to entrance the humans around me. It seemed that at a vampire bash, even the music had hypnotic properties. I am lounged against one of the walls. These walls that are rather unforgiving on the eyes. They are brightly colored, some yellow, some red, some green, some blue. All are harsh when you've spent all of your days inside dreary rooms with tan or gray walls. I've decided to make an effort to focus on something other than the harsh walls. My eyes slowly meander over the crowd of people here. Not really all 'people,' some are humans and some are vampires. More vampires than humans, which is unsettling. I am in a crowd full of monsters that will kill me if they figured out what I am. I am an innocent deer in the center of a wolf's den.  
  
It is eleven, at present, and I have to get out of here before midnight. Before the Devil's hour. I sigh and turn to look at some of the humans that are draped on the vampires. And some of the vampires draped on other vampires. I do not hate these creatures, but I was born for the purpose of killing them; so why not do it? It is not as if I have anything else to do. My eyes catch upon one particular vampire that is flirting with Kaleo. It appears that she is of oriental descent, whether it be Japanese or Chinese or Korean. I am not really sure why my eyes are caught on her or why my aura scans hers fervently. There is something strange in that aura. Something that feels familiar, yet I cannot place it.  
  
The vampire looks over at me in interest; she must have felt me watching her. She stands up and begins to walk over to me when Kaleo pulls her into his lap. The girl seemingly loses interest with me and giggles at Kaleo's desire. Kaleo is rarely in a good mood and it seems tonight he is quite jovial. Strange. Maybe he is once again in "love." It is not real love, per say, just his delusional mind expressing desire. This is the only vampire I hate. I recognize him as the one who had tried to tempt my lover. Of course, he does not recognize me, thank the Lord. How I miss her, my love....  
  
I remember Rhea as the bright girl that she was. Her beauty, her warmth. The way she withheld things from you, yet seemed to be totally open to you. She was a tricky one to figure out. And I have yet to do so, even though she has been gone for so long. My heart still aches from her disappearance. Her father told me that he had no idea where she had gone. I have searched high and low for her, just in case she is a vampire, and there is absolutely no trail to follow. I have simply lost hope of finding any remains of her, alive or dead.  
  
My thoughts have drifted, I realize. A little too late for the realization. It is the Devil's Hour, time for the killing. Every vampire has their prey, in their arms, ready to pierce the thin layer of delicate skin that separates humans from life and death. It seems as if they are waiting for a signal, so I will depart. I have learned nothing new from my enemy, Kaleo.  
  
As soon as I reach the door, the vampire's signal came. The music changes drastically, from hypnotically smooth music to head banging music. I look around the room, trying to convince myself that all of these humans aren't going to be slaughtered. One girl, nameless like all of the rest, lies in the vampire Chaos' arms. His red eyes glow with sorrow over the death of one he loves (SPOILER!!!!!!). One of the things that we have in common, ironically. Nikolas and Kristopher lounge against a wall, one pair of fangs on each side of some poor girl's neck. I look over at Kaleo, the one who always has been fond of red, such a violent color. They go quite well together, red and Kaleo. He smiles showing all of his elongated pearly whites and bit into the young vampire's flesh; the same young vampire he had been flirting with just a moment ago. She simply allows him to do so, to my extreme disgust.  
  
I can no longer watch this suicide. These humans that allow death to take them in it's cold grip. I turn towards the door, to get out of this forsaken place, but I find myself blocked by Kendra herself. The head of the vampire bash line. Oh, god, I am in trouble now...  
  
~ Cliffie? Hahahaha. Review. Sorry for the shortness. ~ 


	8. Chapter 8: Findings of Love

A/N: Wow. I haven't written in awhile. Well, I figured that the least I could do was finish these stories. For my readers. This is Crinnen's POV, still. Please enjoy.  
  
Kendra eyed me suspiciously, though curiosity was present in her obsidian eyes as well. I felt my heart rate increase considerably with my worry, though I made a conscious effort to keep my face as straight and calm as possible. I didn't want to be revealed here; this line would most certainly kill me the moment they found out my true identity.  
  
"Leaving so soon? Why not stay for dinner?" Kendra asked me playfully as she tugged me forward. I made no response; I had no idea what she wanted my answer to be. I would not risk answering the wrong way and facing the consequences. Her strong grip pulled me forward into her arms. She stroked my chest and her fingers playfully made their way up to my neck, where they rested.  
  
"You have a very strong heart beat, young one. You must be athletic. Very fit." Kendra's thumb rested on my pulse point, stroking it in admiration. She had a goal and that goal horrified me. She would feed off of me, which would reveal my true nature. I tried to pull away, a feeble attempt, which only summoned a malicious grin on the face of the predator. Kendra rested her lips and my muscles tensed. I was most certainly doomed. I could see my death already; they would all pound me into a small smudge on the ground. A bloody smear.  
  
"Kendra, I had my eye on that one." Kendra lifted her head, her black hair falling down her back. I couldn't exactly see who was talking, but the voice sounded familiar. Haunting. Kendra smiled at the sight of this new foe and released me. She held me by the back of my neck, her excruciating grip causing me to wince.  
  
"If you want him, Gerik, he is yours. I'm glad to see that you haven't forgotten me." I could not hold back the shock in my aura when I saw Gerik. He was supposed to be dead. He should have died hundreds of years ago. But, no, there he stood in front of me. His brown hair was cut short and choppy and his eyes were the same obsidian I saw in most vampires. I saw the look of recognition in his own eyes, along with the curiosity. As Kendra walked past him, she kissed his cheek and whispered, "Don't be too hard on the little athlete." Gerik grinned and caught her eyes. Mental communication, probably. When Gerik finally approached me, I was unsure of his intentions.  
  
He grabbed my arm and led me into another room. He threw me against a wall and said, in a harsh tone, "What the fuck are you doing alive?"  
  
I responded, as calmly as I could. "I could ask you the same thing; although it is fairly obvious that you are a vampire, so I need not ask." Gerik was calming down; I could feel the tension drain from the situation. Questions buzzed eagerly in my mind. Perhaps Rhea is still alive. Who was the vampire with Kaleo, why was she so familiar?  
  
"What are you, Crinnen?" I looked at Gerik, though I knew that he already had a feeling that I was a Triste. I saw the dread in his eyes. He didn't want me to kill him. I didn't want to kill him anyway; I had found him likeable when he had been alive.  
  
"I am a Triste. I have a few-"  
  
"You aren't going to try anything are you? Just remember that there is a room full of vampires out there who wouldn't hesitate to kill you in an instant." What did he think I was, an idiot? I am not stupid enough to attack him with his kind around. I am not nearly that strong.  
  
"No, why would I? Is Rhea... dead?" Gerik looked at me, as if he was trying to penetrate my thoughts; although, that would be impossible considering the fact that I had my mental shields up. Finally, Gerik sighed in defeat.  
  
"No, she's alive and well. Not a vampire though." My eyes lit up. My love was alive! She was alive, after all of those years of pain and suffering; there was finally the opportunity to find happiness again. My happiness clearly showed on my face, I knew. I just couldn't hold it back. How could I? I loved her.  
  
"Well, is she a Triste? Where is she? Please tell me. I've searched for her for so long..." I felt tears of joy come to my eyes. I vaguely felt embarrassed of my tears, but my embarrassment was the forgotten in the overwhelming happiness I felt.  
  
"Nah, she's a blood bond. I was told not to tell you where she was, if you were ever found alive." My eyebrows furrowed. Who could possibly want me to be kept from the one I loved.  
  
"Please, Gerik. Tell me. I need her." Gerik's face had been cool and emotionless ever since our conversation had started. His black eyes studied me, as if he was trying to tell if my request was genuine.  
  
"Fine. You will find her in the care of Gabriel, of Midnight. She is his property, so I suggest that you do not touch her. Unless you want to risk your safety." I sighed in relief. I would finally find her. My love, my heart, my soul.  
  
"Thank you. I am forever in your debt." Gerik rolled his eyes. I disappeared, eager to find the one I loved and cherished with all of my soul. I knew that Gabriel would be a slight annoyance in regaining a relationship with Rhea, but I doubted that it would be too big of a problem. All I could remember was the passionate moments that Rhea and I had shared. The passionate kisses, the joyful laughs, the intimate conversations. All of that would be in my grasp once again.  
  
~That thoroughly sucked, didn't it? Oh well, please review. ~ 


	9. Chapter 9: Findings Almost the same chap...

A/N: Someone has been begging me, RayneKristi, to update. I will do so, because of your begging. Katana's POV.  
  
Chapter 9  
  
Findings  
  
"Gabriel, fuck off!" I screamed at the door. He has been following me around, making snide remarks all day. I am fuming right now. He just insists on making me feel like shit. I have already felt like shit for the past several days, I don't need his help at all. I am quite good at it. Thinking about my life before all of this happened always makes my spirits fall. I don't need to have Gabriel following me around, ever vigilant, and making comments about how I had already been married and how he really didn't see me as the married type. I had kindly corrected him by telling him that Crinnen had been my fiance. He then asked me if my fiance had gotten "any" and I had told him to leave me the hell alone. He had taken that as a yes, prompting me to slam the door in his face.  
  
"Have a nice night, Katana. You will probably stay in there all night, will you not? Sweet dreams," Gabriel stated calmly, false concern and love in his cool voice. I hate him. Why does he torture me so? I do not want to live with him, but I do anyway, against my will. Why can't he just make my eternal stay here enjoyable. Enjoyable or civil, either way.  
  
"Go to Hell! Get away from my door! Go bother Ravyn or something!" I could hear Gabriel laugh evilly on the other side of my door, but he left the spot either way. Preferably to go bother someone else, besides me. As I went to grab a pencil and a sketch pad, I saw something moving in the corner of my vision. I froze, wondering who the hell was in my room and why the hell they were in my room.  
  
"Hello?" I asked, uncertainty laced into my voice. I saw the shadow move a little, so I know that something is actually there. It isn't just my imagination. Not my mind playing dirty tricks on me.  
  
"Rhea..." I heard the shadowed figure say in a harsh whisper. Only one person knows that name... besides my father and brother...  
  
"Who is that?!" I yelled, alarm spredding through me. It couldn't be...  
  
"You don't remember me?" the shadowed figure said, his voice so familiar. He stepped out of the darkness, revealing himself. I felt my eyes widen slightly at the all too familiar figure. I can still trace every line of his face. Crinnen, my love.  
  
"How could I forget?! Crinnen! What are you doing here... ALIVE?!" I yelled at him, again my voice uncertain and alarmed. My eyes are still widened, unable to force themselves back into their normal state. How can this be? How can he still be here? Is he... damned... too?  
  
"I'm glad to see that you are happy to see me," Crinnen said somberly. He made an effort to move towards me, which only resulted in me flinching backwards into my desk. I didn't want him to touch me if he is one of the damned. I don't really want any of the damned to touch me. Even if I had been almost married to him.  
  
"What the fuck are you doing alive?" I spat harshly at him. I want to know how he has stayed alive. He can't just be alive still. No human lives for two hundred years. That really is just common sense.  
  
"I have my ways, Rhea. I am a Triste. Why is he calling you Katana? Why does he own you at all?" My head spun with this newly gained knowledge. And with the many requests that he has placed. Why does he want to know so much? My brain is barely able to respond to him naturally.  
  
"You... you are a Triste? That's my name now. I am not referred to as Rhea. So stop calling me that. And get away from here. You just endanger yourself needlessly by being here." I saw the pain in Crinnen's eyes, the hurt I am causing. I don't want to hurt him, but he needs to leave me alone or he will be killed. Surely, he would be.  
  
"I would gladly endanger myself for you, Rhe- I mean, Katana. I have searched so long for you. I will never leave you again. Never." I closed my eyes, to stop the newly formed tears in my eyes from falling. I can't take all of this. It's hurting me to hear his gentle, kind words. To hear the innocence in his words.  
  
"Stop being foolish. The world is not all happiness and smiling faces. There is no brighter future for me, Crinnen." I am sure that he knows all of this, but I don't think that he has gotten the knowledge fully through his brain. He seems to think that we will end up together, happily ever after. And this will never happen.  
  
"But there is. I can get you out of-" I cut him off, bluntly. I will not make him dillusional.  
  
"I assure you, it's a nice thought, but you can't. Gabriel will kill you in a heartbeat if he finds you here. So get out of here, while you are still capable of doing so." I saw the defeat in the boy's eyes. Now I call him a boy, even though he is about four years older than me. Mentally, he is much younger than me, however.  
  
"Are you just afraid of leaving? Are you afraid that we can't be together now? Everything is exactly the way it was before." No, I thought to myself, I want nothing more than to be with Crinnen. I would give anything to kiss him again, to feel his warm touch.  
  
"No, it's not. Everything has changed. I'm not a happy go lucky girl with hopes and dreams for the future. I am dark and dreary and brutally honest. You Crinnen, have changed too, whether you acknowledge it or not. You aren't prey like the rest of human civilization. You can fight for yourself. You aren't supposed to be prey, Crinnen. But, you know what, you still act like prey. Maybe you haven't changed after all. Maybe it's just me." Crinnen looked stung by the comment, although I could still see the faint flicker of hope in his eyes.  
  
"When I see that face, I forget all of the changes you've been through. All of the pain you have suffered through. I want to plant a blade in Gabriel's heart. But, that would hurt you, and I would never cause any pain on you, the one I care for the most. I may be like prey, but you still are. I still love you as much as I did when I pledged my love to you. I just want you to accept me. Accept me again, the way I have accepted you again." How can he make such a commitment, when I am stuck in this prison? I can't be commited to him at all. I can't stop Gabriel's attempts to kiss me passionately at all.  
  
"You don't even know me anymore, how could you accept my changes?" I asked, in frustration.  
  
"I can see those changes in your eyes, which are shadowed, with the death and decay that the world has become." I heard the sadness in his voice, the pain. Maybe I am not the only one that has changed, after all.  
  
"I- get out of here! He's coming!" I whispered harshly at Crinnen. He nodded, kissed my cheek softly, and disappeared. I looked longingly at the space which he had occupied, wishing that I hadn't shot down all of his attempts at freeing me so easily. It made my heart sink, knowing that he had been desperate. He had genuinely wanted to get me back. To get me to love him again. I sighed and attempted to turn my thoughts to other topics. I vaguely wondered if all supernatural creatures could disappear at will. Now I am thinking of him again. Damn my one-sided thoughts.  
  
Gabriel opened the door, his eyes were narrowed suspisciously. He looked at me, as if I were the worst person in the world, and shook his head. I felt like toying with him. For helping to ruin my life. Again, he is ruining my life. I smiled, ever so slightly, and walked towards him, my catlike gait catching his attention. He raised an eyebrow suggestively and I laughed. He is so easy to fool. I pulled him towards me, kissing his lips gently. I closed my eyes in pleasure as Gabriel deepened my kiss. I was rudely awakened, however, when he yanked my head back, by pulling my hair. He looked into my eyes and growled, "Who have you been talking to?"  
  
"I think you are hearing voices," I stated calmly, wondering if I would be punished for my bold comment. His eyes darkened, but he did not make a move to strike me. He simply stated what he thought to be true. It was laced in harshness and brutality, which terrified me.  
  
"I think that you had a visitor. And I think that I will kill that little visitor if he decides to show his face in my manor again. Don't give me kisses, Katana, if you are still in love with another. I may kill him just so I can have full kisses, not just half kisses and half truths."  
  
A/N: Is that good enough for you? Please review. 


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